1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to control a vehicle air-conditioner, particularly during vehicle deceleration fuel cutoff.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there have been proposed and developed various fuel cutoff systems which are designed to reduce exhaust emissions and fuel consumption by cutting fuel supply to the engine cylinder or cylinders through the fuel cutoff control. The fuel cutoff control is frequently performed under certain required engine/vehicle operating conditions, such as during vehicle deceleration, coasting, or down-hill operations. Deceleration fuel cutoff is defined as the fuel cutoff control during deceleration of the vehicle.
On the other hand, many cars are equipped with automatic transmissions with lock-up torque converters which act to mechanically couple the engine crankshaft to the transmission output shaft. When a lock-up device incorporated in the lock-up torque converter assumes its converter state (corresponding to a lock-up clutch release position), the engine crankshaft and the transmission output shaft are coupled via fluid in the torque converter in normal operation. On the contrary, when the lock-up device assumes its locked-up state (corresponding to a lock-up clutch engagement position), the engine crankshaft and the transmission output shaft are directly coupled to each other by a mechanical connection (via engagement the lock-up clutch), thus disabling or locking up the torque converter. The converter state will be hereinafter referred to as “lock-up OFF state,” while the locked-up state will be hereinafter referred to as “lock-up ON state.”
The control technique of an air-conditioner compressor which is subject to running rate is described in Patent Document 1. The running rate of the compressor is increased from the rate of the lock-up OFF state when the lock-up ON state is starting. The increasing of the running rate is finished when a predetermined time Tup has passed from the start of lock-up ON state. The running rate is then decreased to the rate of the lock-up OFF state.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 4399989